Wellington, Florida: Strawberries, Horses and New Jobs

Wellington is near West Palm Beach and the Everglades but has plenty of attractions of its own that excite families who come to visit. Among the things to enjoy are a famous strawberry patch, famous horses, and a famous peanut.

The city supports a growing equestrian community that seems taking over the community. You can use 57 miles horse trails for riders of all ages and abilities. Horse assisted therapy is growing among the medical community as well.

Expanding the trail system, adding additional equestrian events and businesses, and drawing new professionals in this industry has created a year-round World Class Equestrian Community. Riding stables, horse farms, equestrian shows known internationally, and horse-related children’s activities increase yearly.

Meanwhile, city leaders have facilitated an expanding medical center, the influx of new small businesses, construction of a new hotel, and even a new college near the hospital and local mall. This would be a great place to work and raise a family!

Highways and streets can expect improvements as traffic congestion is a target for elimination in a greener way to facilitate ongoing growth. City trails, canals, and lakes add to a sustainability push and natural conservation as well as tourist attractions.

This is the Wellington Medical Arts District that covers around 2,300,000 million square feet of commercial space. In addition, a new industrial center is going up beside Lake Okeechobee.

The huge Florida Crystals commercial property, 850 acres, is to have an inland port, according to county commissioners, with a cargo distribution center, warehouses, and related businesses, along with well maintained rail lines and highways connecting eastern/southeastern Florida coastal towns.

From Autumn 2010 to Spring 2015, 15,000 to 20,000 jobs were available in and around Wellington, with emerging jobs from:

• Equestrian businesses,
• The new medical arts district
• A new inland port

From its early beginnings as a widespread strawberry farm on 18,000 acres of Florida swampland, Wellington has grown to become the 76th Best Place to Live in America, among the Top 100 chosen by Money.com in 2010.

Wellington is also an equestrian community, with as many horses on its roads as automobiles. One of its major businesses is the world's largest horse show each winter, which operates from the end of January to mid-March.

Polo, jumping class, and dressage are important elements of everyday Wellington life.

The Wellington market area supports two large endangered big-cat sanctuaries:

• Panther Ridge Conservation Center, and
• Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, an official part of the US Wildlife Refuge System

Both of these sanctuaries help to protect and promote Florida panthers and black panthers, along with other big cats. A rarity even in Southern Florida, the state's namesake cat can be viewed by visitors to the refuges as they learn more about the elusive felines. Before the sanctuaries became popular, the only views most Americans had of the cat came from wildlife "camera-traps" that snapped the panthers as they walked past.

Panther Ridge Sanctuary

Panther Ridge, began at home in 1993 and opened in 1999 as a non-profit animal conservation facility caring long-term for endangered big cats. However, small cats and horses are happy here as well.

Founder Judy Berens has rescued all kids of cats and horses from bad situations and placed them in natural habitats. By 2008, she had a 10-acre estate full of two dozen examples of the most endangered species on Earth to date. This includes bobcats, caracals, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars, panthers, ocelots, and servals, along with house cats and horses.

Judy found that one of her recuse big cat was dumped outside a pet shop. Another was rescued from Hurricane Katrina, others from the circus. They are all here, living in peace.

Incorporated in 1995, Wellington grew quickly, drawing new families to the coastal area and international visitors to its horse shows that feature the National Horse Show and Winter Equestrian Festival.

Why does Florida have so many horses and horse activities? The Spanish explorers of the 1500s brought the equines into Florida and the rest of what became Southern USA and the animals proliferated. Herds of descendant wild horses are still found in Texas and the Far West.

Polo activities also attract international attention. Wellington leaders plan for it to become a premier World Class Equestrian Community and the largest in the United States.

Wellington also has a large renovated library, recreation centers, green spaces, parks, and ball fields, hosting the Top Gun Model Aircraft Show annually.

Entertainment and cultural events abound as well at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and Norton Museum of Art. The super-regional The Mall at Wellington Green is a retail hub and target for additional growth alongside a medical center complex.

• Lion Country Safari - Florida's Only Drive Through Safari Adventure!

  Florida's only drive-through safari and walk-through amusement park invites you to spend the day on safari with over 800 animals.

• Polo Museum: The Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the development of the game by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections.
• Norton Museum of Art: The Norton Museum of Art is a major cultural attraction in Florida. The Museum is internationally known for its distinguished permanent collection featuring 19th and 20th century European and American art, Chinese, contemporary art and photography.
• Palm Beach Polo Golf and Country Club, Wellington, Florida
• SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR AND EXPO CENTER: The annual South Florida Fair is Florida's top rated fair and it's 17 outrageously fun days in January. The Fairgrounds attracts 1.2 million visitors annually since 1912. Yesteryear Village and local Museum.
• The Mall at Wellington Green

This island off Palm Beach was renamed Peanut Island for a failed peanut oil-shipping business here at the end of WWII.

A US Federal Government renovation in 2005 provided Peanut Island Park to the community. The park offers camping, a pier, and a reef, but also still has the nuclear blast shelter built by order of President John F. Kennedy in 1960.

The bomb shelter is operated as a museum and historic site by the Palm Beach Maritime Museum, open to visitors to see the Cold War-era installation. Peanut Island requires water travel from the mainland by boat or water taxi.

Aerospace Business Increases Jobs

Florida has long enjoyed a Space Coast Image. B/E Aerospace in Wellington is an aircraft cabin interior manufacturer and the leading distributor of aerospace fasteners and consumables globally.

The company's 3rd QTR 2010 financial results surpassed goals and continued to rise into 2015. The company reported revenues of $495 Million in 3rd QTR 2010, an increase of 7.7% over the same period of 2009. This additional $35.2 Million came from consumables, management, and commercial aircraft products. Free cash flow was $62.8 Million.

Many aerospace companies in Florida are private, and several belong to NASA's Commercial Crew.

1. Palm Beach County Public Schools
2. Tenet Healthcare
3. Broward Health
4. Palm Beach State College
5. State Farm Insurance
6. Baptist Health of South Florida
7. Jupiter Medical Center
8. Several Large Animal Vet Clinics, especially for horses; Horse Assisted Therapy Firms; Polo Clubs

The busiest sectors of the Wellington market area are

1. Agribusiness
2. Healthcare
3. Equestrian

Largest Employers

1. Palm Beach Schools
2. Tenet Healthcare
3. NextEra Energy
4. Florida Atlantic University
5. Boca Raton Regional Hospital
6. VA Healthcare
7. HCA Healthcare
8. Baptist Health, South Florida
9. Florida Crystals Corporation: Agriculture
10. Prett and Witney: Aerospace
11. U.S. Sugar: Agriculture
12. Cheney Brothers Foods
13. Wellington Regional Medical Center
14. Lockheed Martin: Aerospace
15. Sugar Growers Coop: Agriculture

1. Retail Sales Associates
2. Elementary School Teachers and Tutors
3. Registered Nurse (RNs) - particularly in the nursing specialties of Medical Telemetry, Medical Surgical, and Travel Nursing. The ongoing expansion of the Wellington Medical Arts District mentioned above will increase demand even further for nurses and physical and occupational therapists.
4. Senior and Staff Accountants
5. Patient Care Techs
6. Sales Representatives
7. Account Managers
8. Speech Therapists
9. Administrative Assistants
10. Physical and Occupational Therapist's Assistants

Highest Demand Jobs

1. Retail Salespersons
2. Registered Nurses (RNs)
3. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
4. Agriculture and Food Services
5. Sales Reps for Wholesale and Manufacturing,
6. Nursing Aides, Orderlies, Attendants, and Home Health Professionals

• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida Culinary Institute
• Lynn University
• Northwood University
• Nova Southeastern University
• Palm Beach Atlantic University
• Palm Beach Community College

• Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com job search and research engines.
• Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce
• Wellington Planning and Development Agency